The majesty and awe-inspiring views of the glen, created by nature with some additions by man, is a bucket list destination that should not be missed.
By Ben and Cheryl Coles
Watkins Glen State Park is the oldest and most famous park in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. It sits at the southernmost point of Seneca Lake in the town of Watkins Glen. This little town of 1800 residents swells in the summer with tourists coming for two big reasons: to walk the Gorge Trail through the glen and to check out the auto racing at Watkins Glen International.
We most recently went to Watkins Glen State Park for five days in early August, and we went for the glen. We’ve been to the park twice before but we keep going back with new friends so that they too can experience the beauty of the glen. The best way to experience the glen is by hiking The Gorge Trail which is a linear 1.5 mile (2.4 km) trail through the glen that boasts 19 waterfalls and 832 stone stairs to be climbed for a change in elevation of 500 feet (152 m). You can turn around at the end and walk back or for $6 you can take the shuttle back to the main entrance. The shuttle runs on weekends from May 20th to July 4th and Labour Day to October 23rd and runs daily from July 5th to Labour Day. Children 10 and under are free. Even with this option, my recommendation is to walk back the way you came since it looks so different going the other way. You’ll see views that you missed on your first pass, offering countless photo opportunities.
This man-made trail is mostly rock which can be quite wet with puddles from water dripping down the rocky walls and from the vegetation above. I’d recommend wearing good footwear with traction and not fuzzy slippers like we saw on the feet of one hiker on the trail. Most people start at the main entrance in town with it’s two large parking lots and then hike to the end at the upper entrance. The final push to finish the trail in this direction is a flight of 180 stone stairs called Jacob’s Ladder, that’ll take you to the upper entrance. There you’ll be rewarded with restrooms, a playground, a gift shop and a store with food and refreshments.
We camped at the park for 5 days and because the campground has its own entrance to the Gorge Trail from the South Pavilion. Cheryl and I, along with our friends Patty and Steve, entered the trail there with our first view of the Glen from the suspension bridge. We walked toward the upper entrance passing incredibly beautiful views including Lover’s Lane Lookout, Glen Cathedral, Central Cascade, Rainbow Falls, Frowning Cliff and Mile Point Bridge. We went behind waterfalls, over bridges, under bridges, and through tunnels along this unbelievably scenic hike. We climbed the 180 steps up Jacob’s Ladder where we took a little break to use the restrooms and rehydrate, then went back down all those steps to head back the way we came. We continued past our starting point, continuing down toward the main entrance, taking in the views of Cavern Cascade and Sentry Bridge, before arriving at the entrance where a visitor’s center and gift shop are located. After a short break to rest our feet and recharge, we turned around and headed back in. We left the Gorge Trail by going up 120 stone stairs called Couch’s Staircase, which brought us back to where we started at the South pavilion.
One of the best parts of camping at Watkins Glen State Park is that you can go back in the glen whenever you want from the campground. During our daytime trek, we were met by lines of people all along the trail, many stopping to take pictures filled with other people in them. This is, after all, a hot tourist destination. So I decided to return to the trail alone the following evening at around 7 pm when it was raining lightly and getting darker in the glen. This was my time to really bask in the natural beauty without the busy crowds. The glen has a completely different feel when you’re in there without another person in sight. I did encounter a few other people here and there but they were mostly like me, trying to get some photographs of the beauty without people. I moved fast from place to place trying to get the winning shot before the light dimmed too much. On my trek back to the campsite, I felt a sense of calm and appreciation, then met my wife and friends at the campfire before we settled in for the night.
Watkins Glen State Park has a total of 278 campsites with 97 offering electrical hookups of 30 amps or 50 amps. There is an Olympic sized swimming pool free to campers and day users, four playgrounds, and numerous washroom facilities throughout the park and campground. Beyond the Gorge Trail, there are three other trails: the North Rim Trail which is a 1.1 mile (1.8 km) linear trail, the South Rim Trail which is a 1.8 mile (2.9 km) linear trail, and Lover’s Lane which is a 0.3 mile (500 m) linear trail. All of these trails are along the gorge area. The Finger Lakes Trail, called the South Rim Trail in the park, connects the Catskills to Allegany State Park.
There are a lot of other things to do in the area, most notably Watkins Glen International. If you’re lucky enough to be there on a race day, you can sit in the stands and watch car racing. During the weekdays, they offer what they call “Drive the Glen”. For $30 you can follow a pace car for three laps around the track in your own vehicle. After that, you can visit one of the dozens of wineries in the area or spend some time going for a paddle in a kayak or canoe or taking a boat tour of Seneca Lake.
We walked around the marina checking out the boats and watching people fish, then drove 3.4 miles (5.5 km) up the east side of Seneca Lake to Hector Falls. These falls are viewed from the road, so we pulled over at the side of the road at a place where there was parking for four or five vehicles and took advantage of the falls view. There is over 250 feet of waterfall cascading down the hill into Seneca Lake. From the road we could only see a portion of it, but it was stunning: a fanning cascade from the narrow top to the wide bottom as it goes past the road and continues down past private cottages before entering the lake. Quick note: be careful at the side of the road here as this is a 55 mile an hour road and many take their eyes off the road to see the falls as they zoom past. From there we headed back into Watkin’s Glen for an early dinner at Kookalaroc’s Bar and Grill on 11th Street where the meals were great and moderately priced. Steve and I tried a couple of local brews. For food, Cheryl had a Philly Cheesesteak with chips, Patty had a Chicken Parmesan Sandwich with chips, Steve had a Shrimp Po’Boy with fries, and I had a Kooklaroc Melt (chicken) with chips.
If camping is not your thing, there are many other accommodations in the area as this is very much a tourist destination. It’s time to put Watkin’s Glen on your bucket list.
You can watch our full video review of Watkins Glen State Park here:
